Avakov, Le Maire discuss Ukrainian-French intergovernmental cooperation

Co-chairs of the joint Ukrainian-French intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation – Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov and French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire – have discussed intergovernmental interaction as part of cooperation between Ukraine and France, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's press service has reported.

"The parties discussed the current performance of the joint Ukrainian-French intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation and further steps aimed at developing strategic areas of cooperation," the report reads.

The main focus was on the modernization of freight electric locomotives of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia with the support of the French government and the involvement of French company Alstom in the project.

The Ukrainian Interior Ministry recalled that on behalf of President Volodymyr Zelensky, earlier negotiations were held within the joint Ukrainian-French commission to implement a project to supply Alstom electric locomotives with the partial localization of their production and maintenance in Ukraine.

The project was launched in September 2018, when Alstom and Ukrzaliznytsia signed a memorandum of understanding, which officially establishes cooperation in the provision and maintenance of electric locomotives. The financial model of the project involves raising loans from the Treasury of France and other sources.

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